West Ham manager David Moyes said that he hopes his team’s Europa League opponents Bayer Leverkusen spent time downing beer in the aftermath of their Bundesliga title ahead of their quarter-final clash tonight.
The Londoners trail 2-0 after the first leg of their last eight tie but host the German champions tonight looking for a spot in the semi-finals.
Leverkusen stormed to their first ever domestic title at the weekend with scenes of pitch invading and traditional beer downing following their 5-0 win over Werder Bremen.
“I didn’t see anything from it, just read that they’d won it,” Moyes said of the German’s title triumph. “Rightly so, why would you not celebrate? To be the champions you should celebrate, and enjoy it because the moments go very quickly.
“I hope they’ve been downing those big giant glasses of beer they get in Germany”
Tough gig for Moyes
Reigning Europa Conference League champions West Ham will need to overturn the two goal deficit to progress through to the final four with a tie against either AC Milan or Roma awaiting the victors.
“You always want your best players back in,” Moyes added, with Lucas Paqueta suspended and Jarrod Bowen an injury doubt. “It was a huge game last week and it is another big game.
“The final is obviously where you want to get to but you’ve got to go through the process to get there. It will be a difficult, difficult game. We have the belief to try and make it [to the final].”
Moyes is yet to confirm whether he will stay or depart the club having previously stated he will decide in the summer.
In his time as manager the Scot has kept West Ham from being relegated and won European honours with them.
Elsewhere Liverpool look to overturn a 3-0 deficit to Atalanta in the other half of the draw while Benfica will aim to hold on to a slim lead over Marseille.